Environment Canterbury on site at wastewater discharge into Diamond Harbour Te Waipapa

Environment Canterbury is actively responding to a wastewater discharge into Diamond Harbour Te Waipapa from Christchurch City Council (CCC) sewerage pipes today. 

Our team has been on site after being notified of the event by a member of the public. We are assisting with the immediate response and assessing environmental impacts of the discharge. The amount discharged is not yet known. A visible contamination plume was observed in the harbour earlier; although now reduced, it continues to move toward the heads with the outgoing tide. 

Christchurch City Council has now repaired the wastewater pipe and is now focused on the repair of the water supply pipe. 

The National Public Health Service has issued a health warning for Diamond Harbour Te Waipapa, Purau Bay, Church Bay Kaioruru, and Charteris Bay Te Wharau. People are advised not to swim in the impacted bays and to avoid collecting shellfish. Fish caught in the area should have the gut and liver removed, and be washed in clean water before cooking. 

Our science team will undertake water sampling to help understand the scale and movement of the plume and to support ongoing risk assessment. 

We will continue to work with Christchurch City Council on this issue over the next week.